How long will you love me
by L'AmourFou28
Summary: What will the future hold for Elena once she wakes up? And how has the past treated our characters while she was sleeping? But more importantly, how has Damon been coping with her absence? My take on what a series finale should look like.
1. Prologue

**Hello, everyone! So, this is not actually my first fanfiction about TVD, but it is the first one I've gathered the courage to publish.**

 **As the summary says, this is my vision of what the future will hold for Elena, but also what the past has put in the path of the other characters while she was gone.**

 **At first, I thought I would write only a one shot. But inspiration came and different scenarios played in my mind, and I decided to write a multi-chapter story. I don't know already how many chapters I will write, but I'll update as soon as I can (I still have college and work to occupy me, so...).**

 **If you like this prologue, and want me to continue the story, please follow it. And, if you feel like it, tell me what you're thinking in the reviews? Pretty please?**

 **I hope you guys enjoy it! Thank you for reading! Xoxo**

* * *

March 28th, 2077

I enter the boarding house in an outburst, inhaling hard, trying to catch my breath. Only to find it completely empty.

It's as dark inside as it is outside. Not even the fireplace is lit. It must be the middle of the night.

The only sound I hear is my heart, beating hard against my chest.

I go upstairs in a rush, directly to _our_ room.

I find letters in our bed, but I don't find him.

The first one is from Bonnie.

 _March 22_ _nd_ _, 2077_

 _Dear Elena,_

 _You asked us to write everything down. Everything that we ever accomplished, you wanted to read about it when you wake up. And we did. Caroline and me, we've kept journals just like you did and we wrote our whole lives for you. Unfortunately, I won't be there to hand them all to you, to watch you read them, to watch your reactions to everything that has happened with us. But I wanted to write this last piece of life, to sum it all up, and to say goodbye to you properly._

 _I can feel my life is ending, Elena. I can feel my magic going weaker, day by day, for months now. Each day I wake up a little less witch, a little more human. But I'm not sad. If anything, I'm glad. I'm glad that you'll finally get your chance at happiness, that you'll finally put all your dreams and plans into motion._

 _It's been an amazing life. I got to finish college and get married. I got to have kids and watch them grow and have their own kids. I got to build a life of my own, fighting for my dreams and watching them come true. And it all happened because of you. And because of Damon. You both chose to put a hold in your lives, in your_ love _, for me; so that I could have all of this. And I couldn't be more thankful._

 _I will not lie. These 62 years without you have been a little less happier because you weren't here, in person, to share the moments with me, with us. But you were here through all the pages I wrote about our lives. You were here in spirit. And I promise you that I lived everything to its fullest. Or at least I tried. I tried to honor the opportunity you gave me in the best way I could._

 _I'm writing today so that I can go in peace, knowing that I have told you everything, that I have_ thanked you _for everything._

 _Elena, I hope when you wake up, you wake up with a smile on your face. Please don't feel guilty or sad that you have been away these last 60 years. I know you. You think you're responsible for everybody. You think you need to_ be here _for everybody. My_ life _is proof of it. So, I'm saying it one more time: you don't need to. Honey, as I told you once before, everyone would find their ways. And they did._

 _As you will know by my other thousands of letters, Ric moved on. It took him time, a long time, but eventually he went back to teaching at Whitmore. He never got married again, nor had anyone special. The trauma of loosing his wife and kids all at once, and in such a brutal way, made him close his heart forever. He had a good life, despite everything, was happy teaching the college students, and after retiring he went to live with Jeremy in Santa Fe. It's been 9 years since he passed._

 _Jeremy, despite what he had told us, never went to art school. He spent 20 years as a vampire hunter and then, for my relief, found a girl and settled down in Santa Fe. His children, Alba (who looks a lot like you) and Scott, have come to Mystic Falls over the years and are currently at college in Albuquerque._

 _Matt followed Caroline's mother steps and became sheriff when he turned 40. He retired after 15 years of enforcing the law and fighting for the living and now lives just two blocks away from me, with his wife, Serena. He also got to have kids, who live in Mystic Falls as well._

 _Tyler left Mystic Falls to live with a pack in the Apalachians. He contacts us every once in a while. He hasn't aged much because of his werewolf gene. He finally figured how to live with his inheritance. He also found a special somebody, but I've never come to meet her._

 _Caroline and Stefan got together a year after you went to sleep. She stayed 10 years looking out for each one of us, and when she was sure, for the hundredth time, that we were okay, she made her own plans. They moved away from Mystic Falls, since they weren't aging and people were starting to notice. They've got to live in New York, Venice, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Cape Town, Cartagena, Rio de Janeiro, Sidney and a whole list of a small and big cities all around the globe. I was actually jealous of them for some time. But every Christmas, without fail, they come back to celebrate with my family and Matt's. They're happy, both of them, as I've never seen them before._

 _As for me, I graduated Whitmore and became an arts teacher at our old High School (Go, Timberwolves!). I met Theo when I was still in college. He was a law student. We agreed to live together in Mystic Falls after I graduated and h_ _ _e got his own firm in Richmond two years later._ After 3 years of marriage, I got pregnant with Julia. Four years later, Nathan was born. They're both married now, and I have three beautiful grandchildren. We've had a nice, comfortable life in our home town. I'm retired for 15 years now. But life has been good to me, and I'm not feeling all the pains of an old person._

 _The supernatural craziness died off after one last battle against the heretics. Mystic Falls has been safe and sound for about 60 years now. It's almost unbelievable. Even my witch sensibility weakened due to this serenity._

 _The word never spread that you got the cure or that it even existed. We made sure it never did. We managed to deal with everything that could bring problems to us. I sealed you in the Salvatore crypt after Damon said goodbye to you, and have been checking on it over the years. Everything looks perfectly okay._

 _All of this, Elena, is how much you have provided me to experience, with your sacrifice. And I couldn't have been more happy with this. My life followed its rightful course because of you._

 _When you finally wake up, I won't be here to say it, so I'm writing it down:_ thank you _. Thank you for being this selfless and this loving to allow me to live my life while you wait to live yours. Thank you for loving us so deeply, that you didn't even think twice before putting your dreams on hold for me. Thank you for being the sister I never had. And, once again, I'm sorry that things came to this point, of us living our lives separately._

 _I hope, when you come back, that you also get everything you've ever wanted from life. I hope you get to graduate and become an amazing doctor. I hope you have kids and experience this kind of love, a love that is bigger than anything you've ever felt for anyone. Live it to the fullest, Elena, and don't look back. I love you, honey, and I have missed you every single day of my life. Make your dreams come true, dear. You deserve it, more than anyone._

 _Love, Bonnie_

 _Ps: you are probably wondering why I never mentioned Damon's life in my letter. Again, I won't lie. It's been hard for him, Elena. It's been harder for him than for anyone of us. Thinking about all the years he would have to live without you, he went off the deep end. He went back to being the Damon we met in high school: selfish, reckless, self-destructive. He turned off his humanity after a year of trying and failing to live away from you._

 _I've heard from him over the years. He left Mystic Falls after shutting off his emotions. He has been all around the globe just like Stefan and Caroline. Stefan is the only one that has been able to keep track of him more frequently. The last I heard we was living in Istanbul._

 _Although he makes it seem like he doesn't care for anything or anyone anymore, he calls every year on my birthday. His sarcastic, smug voice teasing me for growing old and forgetful (which I'm not, by the way). And every year on your birthday, there's a lavender rose lying beside your crypt when I go visit. He has never admitted to doing this, but everyone else has denied it. I don't think he is as bad as he was in the first five years. I actually think he has found a way to cope with your absence, in a healthy away. He just can't stand living in Mystic Falls without you. He loves you more than his own life. He's holding on, Elena. He's waiting for you._


	2. Cursed new day - Part 1

Hello, everyone!

First of all, I am so deeply sorry for taking so long (almost two months!) to update this story. I'll explain myself at the end of the chapter. ;)

Second, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews and follows! I have almost a thousand views on the prologue, how crazy is that?! I seriously wasn't expecting to reach so many people! It means so much to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I decided to split this first chapter in two parts, exceptionally, because I'm having a bit of writer's block with the ending of it, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging anymore. The second part will come, hopefully, by the end of the week.

Anyways, enough talk for now. I hope you enjoy this first part! Thank you for reading and for staying with me after so long! Xoxo

* * *

The Boarding House – May 14th, 2016

He had woken up about an hour ago. Lying in his bed, looking up to the ceiling, he was trying to decide if he should get up or not. It was around 8 am. The sky was a pale shade of blue through the window. The house was quiet. But when he focused hard enough he could hear Damon breathing in his room. He was probably lying in his bed as well. His brother was breathing in a particularly fast rhythm, so he knew Damon was not asleep. He was likely having the same internal debate Stefan was having. He also knew what day it was.

 _Today should be a normal day. There was no holiday on this day, or birthday or anything festive. But it was not just any day. Today marks one year since Elena went to sleep. One year since Alaric lost his wife and their babies. One year since Kai's psychotic revenge changed their lives forever and rendered them powerless against it._

 _They had all been through a lot in the year that had passed. Lily's "family" had created a dangerous plan and had gone on a killing spree and it had cost every amount of strength and energy, and almost Caroline's life, for the group to take the heretics down. They had managed to kill them all with Bonnie's help, but Enzo had taken Lily away before Damon and Stefan could get their hands on her. The brothers hadn't heard about them ever since. Nonetheless, it wasn't like they were really interested in knowing where Lily was, as long as she was away from them._

 _They had lost so many and so much in a matter of weeks. Liz, Luke, Jo, Liv, Elena. Each one of them had developed a way to deal with these losses. Some more healthy than others. Bonnie and Caroline had gone back to college. Tyler had left town after a few weeks, when he found a new pack. Matt had been more focused than ever on his officer training. Alaric had surrendered to alcohol for a long time before finally coming back to the surface and going back to Whitmore to continue his professor career. Stefan coped in the best way he could, writing everything down and holding on to the good thoughts, so that he could help Damon with his healing process._

 _Damon had had it worse than anyone. In only a month he had already begin struggling with his emotions, turning to alcohol on a daily basis. It wasn't that he didn't even want to try and live without her. He had already experienced that in the prison world for four months and had managed to keep his shit together until he came back to the living world._

 _But this time was different. In the prison world, he knew that, when he finally came back, she would be there, waiting for him (even if without memory). Hell, even when he was waiting for Katherine he had a date to look forward to. Now, he had no perspective of when he would see Elena walking and talking in front of him again. It could take sixty or seventy years, if everything happened as it should; it could take only five, if some tragedy came up. He had no deadline, no comet to wait for, no clue whatsoever. And this made it even more difficult. To wrap his mind around an uncertain future, without her, for who knows how long, was a fate worse than anything he could imagine. They had been, again, on the verge of finally "living happily ever after" when everything went to hell because of a vengeful psychopath witch._

 _So today marked a whole year of him trying and failing to carry on with his life and then giving up and burying the frustrations in Bourbon._

Stefan decided to get up and make some breakfast. This should be a normal day in their lives. Elena would've wanted them to continue living their lives as if she was still there. She wouldn't want them to put a stop in their lives and wait for her to come back. So that's what he was going to do.

Pouring coffee on a mug, he heard when Damon came down the stairs and went straight to the front door, closing it behind him firmly. Great. Damon was going to avoid any contact today; just like he had been doing for the last two months.

Deciding he should try to put a stop on his brother's behavior, and knowing he wouldn't listen to a word he said, Stefan called the one person he could think of that could actually put some sense into Damon: Bonnie.

The two of them had developed a kind of friendship while at the prison world that Stefan didn't fully comprehend, but he was thankful his brother had someone else to care about him.

"Hello?" Bonnie sounded surprised and confused when she picked up the phone after a few rings.

"Bonnie, it's Stefan. I need to talk to you about Damon. Do you have some time?" he asked, noticing she was in a crowded background. She was probably at the college cafeteria.

"Oh! Okay." She had a hint of apprehension in her voice. "Just a second, okay? I need to go somewhere quiet."

He waited for a few seconds, hearing when she asked someone to grab a muffin for her and said she would meet them in class.

"Hey, I'm here. What did you want to talk about? What did he do?" She sounded suspicious, almost predicting he had done something wrong.

"No, he didn't do anything. Or better, he hasn't _been doing_ anything for two months. Nothing that I know of, anyway." Stefan replied, sounding a bit annoyed.

"What do you mean?" She sat in a bench. This conversation was getting more complicated than she expected.

"I wouldn't be calling you if it weren't important." His tone was serious and concerned.

"Yeah, I know. What's going on?" Her stomach turned. She feared Stefan's answer.

"Damon is isolating himself. I have not been able to talk to him for a while now." He sighed, sitting in one of the leather chairs in front of the fireplace. "He still comes home every night, and seems to be in control, but he doesn't talk to me at all." He stared at the fireplace for a moment, frustration eating him inside. "We haven't spoken a single word to each other for weeks now. He spends most of the day out of the house, doing who knows what."

"Hum, okay…" Bonnie was getting a bad feeling.

"As I said, he _seems_ in control, but I'm afraid he's spiraling inside. It's typical Damon. He shuts me out of his life so he doesn't have to deal with me pointing out his problems." He sighed again, deciding to admit what he feared the most. "I'm afraid he'll lose it someday and do something he can't take back. I'm afraid I'll lose my brother again." He closes his eyes, a hand supporting his forehead, trying to think of a solution, for the hundredth time. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me think of a way to talk to him? Or maybe you could talk to him? Try to figure out how to get past this wall he built?" He asked with expectation. "You two seem to have bonded since you came back from the dead. I'm hoping you'll be more lucky at reaching him than I have been."

"I actually know what you mean, Stefan. I haven't spoken to him for a while now as well... But I'm not there, so I didn't know the situation was the critical." She replied, with concern. She went silent for a moment, probably thinking how she could be of any help. "Okay. I'm going home." She announced, simply.

"No. Bonnie. I didn't call you to get you away from your life." He answered, feeling guilty all of a sudden. "I just didn't know who else to go to." He sounded embarrassed. "But you don't have to lose a day of classes and activities just for this; because _I_ don't know hoe to deal with my brother."

"Stefan, it's fine. Really." She reassured him. "I prefer to talk to him in person. We both know he won't answer my calls anyway. It's settled. I'm going to let my friends know I'll be gone for today and I'll be in Mystic Falls around two, okay?"

"Okay. Travel safe. We'll talk when you get here."

" Exactly. See you in few hours. Bye."

* * *

The hours had passed slowly in the Boarding house. Stefan had spent the day trying to do something useful, but hadn't quite succeeded. Not that unproductive afternoons were new to him. It had been like that for most of his vampire life. Only today he couldn't even stay seated for five minutes because anticipation was ruining his patience.

It was only around four o'clock that he heard a knock on the front door.

Getting up from the couch, Stefan opened the door to find not only Bonnie, but also Caroline on his doorstep.

The moment froze for a few seconds. Nobody said anything. A mixture of feelings passed around on both Stefan and Caroline's heads. There was longing and nostalgia but there was also an emotional distance and two confused and broken hearts. There was a lot going on between them, but neither of them had had the courage to work on it yet.

He had not seen or talked to Carolina for almost a year. She and Bonnie had taken off to college only weeks after the tragedies of Alaric´s wedding and hadn't returned to Mystic Falls on the holidays, since none of them had any close family anymore. The group had settled in a silent agreement that had been maintained since then: the guys in Mystic Falls, trying to go on with their lives, and the girls at Whitmore, in an attempt to keep up with their original plans – the ones they had made when they were only human teenagers back in sophomore year.

The spell was broken by Bonnie.

"I told her she didn't have to come with me, but she insisted." She explained, almost as if apologizing.

Each one of the girls had a small bag with them, meaning they would probably spend the night. Both wearing sweatshirts that had the college's symbol and said "Whitmore College", they looked like they had just come out of a football game. They looked happy, even if Caroline looked a bit uncomfortable and Bonnie a bit embarrassed.

"Hum… Hi. Come in." Stefan managed to say, despite being completely taken of guard by the presence of the blonde right in front of him.

He gave space so they could pass by the front and Caroline went first, Bonnie right behind her shooting him a don't-ask-me look on the way.

Settling in the chairs and couch in front of the fireplace, the three of them had spent a couple hours discussing the Damon situation – Bonnie had explained her talk with Stefan to Caroline on their way to Mystic Falls –, and even tried to contact him on his cell phone to ask him to come home, but were not successful.

They had cooked and eaten dinner by the time Damon finally showed up home, apparently with an agenda, since he hadn't even bothered to go into the kitchen.

Leaving Stefan and Caroline in the kitchen by themselves, Bonnie excused herself and went straight upstairs to try and talk to the dark-haired vampire.

An uncomfortable tension settled between the two vampires immediately. It was going to be a night of tough conversations.

* * *

 **Hey! Hope you enjoyed this first part!**

 **I have some announcements and explainings to do:**

 **1) The reason why it took me so long to update was because my semester was crazy! Here, in Brazil, the semester begins in February and ends by the end of June/ first week of July. So, right after I posted the Prologue, I had to start studying for my finals and doing my essays, and still go to my french classes, go to work and go to my driving lessons. Therefore, you can understand how I had really no time to sit down and write my fanfic :( Now, finally on vacation, I can sit and read whenever I want, even if sometimes I get blocked, haha.**

 **2) As I said earlier, there's a second part to this chapter that I'll update soon, and later I'll put the two parts together. This is just a momentary arrangement.**

 **3)I made two small changes on the Prologue: I added the date Elena wakes up (March 28th, 2077) and I changed the red roses for lavender ones (and this change I'll explain at the second part of this first chapter)**

 **4) Thank you again for all the support on the reviews! I really appreciate!**

 **Okay, that's all for now, folks!**

 **Please continue telling me watch you're thinking of the story so far through the reviews! I'm open to any ideas you may have! Xoxo**


End file.
